Reclaim your health, feel more energized, and lose weight with the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest diets there is. Try some of these recipes for a start.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

This rich, flavorful soup adds turmeric to the delicious smokiness of roasted cauliflower. Turmeric is believed to be a bit of a miracle spice full of health benefits. It helps to increase the body’s antioxidant capacity, is an anti-inflammatory, and helps to prevent brain disease and cancer, just to name a few. When mixed in a soup like this, it also adds an amazing flavor. Although this recipe calls for full-fat coconut milk, it is still low in calories and full of health benefits.

Serves 4 | Prep. time minutes 15 | Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 heaping cups cauliflower florets (from 1½ pound cauliflower) cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ tsp kosher salt, to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk, shaken well
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into pieces. Chop the garlic cloves. Place in a small bowl and drizzle with the two tablespoons of olive oil, mixing to coat. This will help with the roasting and prevent the florets from sticking to the baking sheet.
3. Mix the turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small dish, then sprinkle over the oiled cauliflower and garlic, making sure to coat all of the pieces. Transfer to a nonstick baking sheet, spacing the florets far enough apart that they don’t touch each other.
4. Place in the oven and bake until they start to turn a nice golden brown color, about 25 minutes. Don’t overcook, as the garlic will take on a bitter flavor if overcooked. Turn the florets about halfway through the cooking time to ensure both sides get properly roasted. Remove from the oven, separate one cup of the cauliflower, and set aside.
5. To a small stockpot or large saucepan, add the remaining olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is heated, add the red onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion is soft and clear.
6. Add the vegetable broth to the pot with the remaining roasted cauliflower (do not add the cup that you set aside). Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. If you have an immersion blender, insert it into the pot and mix with a couple of quick bursts. Otherwise, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender one cup at a time and blend until smooth.
8. Stir in the coconut milk and the cup of roasted cauliflower that you held to the side.
9. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cilantro.

 

 

Traditional Greek Salad

A salad before a meal prepares your palate for the main course. This traditional Greek salad is full of flavorful vegetables, spices, and the salty bite of feta cheese. This salad is the perfect prelude to any meal.

Serves 5 | Prep. time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 English cucumber (or any large cucumber)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 1 small jar of Kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Wash all the vegetables, chop them into bite-sized pieces, and then add them to a salad bowl.
2. Mix in the Kalamata olives (8–10 olives should do the trick).
3. Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano in a small dish, then add to the salad bowl and mix well to ensure that the vegetables are well coated.
4. Mix in the feta cheese.
5. You can sprinkle some additional oregano on top if you’d like. Serve immediately.

 

 

Baked Kale Chips with Garlic

Crispy and crunchy, these kale chips are a healthy alternative to greasy processed potato chips. You can enjoy the benefits of kale—like protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acid—all rolled up in these tiny flavorful bites.

Serves 1–2 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized bunch of kale
• ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½–1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
• ½–1 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste)
• ¾ teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Wash the kale and let it dry completely. You can pat it dry with a paper towel or let it sit on a paper towel until it has dried out. If you have a salad spinner, this is the easiest way to get the excess water off the leaves.
3. Remove the stems from the kale. You only want to use the leaves for this recipe; otherwise, the kale chips don’t crisp up enough.
4. Once the kale is completely dry, pour some of the olive oil into your hand and toss the kale leaves like a salad. You need to get the oil on and into the leaves, but you don’t want too much. A half tablespoon will work for the entire batch of kale chips. The oil will help the spices to stick.
5. Sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and chili powder over the top of the chips.
6. Spread the kale leaves on a baking sheet in a single layer. You may want to work in a couple of batches, as you don’t want the leaves to touch each other.
7. Turn the baking sheet after 10 minutes and then cook for an additional 15 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the kale chips for the last 5 minutes or so, as they can go from crisp to burn relatively quickly.

 

 

Caprese Chicken

This recipe takes all the amazing flavors of a traditional Caprese salad and combines them with heart-healthy chicken breasts to create an aromatic dinner for your nose and a flavor explosion for your taste buds.

Serves 4–6 | Prep. time 5 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup red onion, minced
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a heavy skillet and heat on medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
3. Add chicken to the hot oil in the skillet and cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side. When you’re sure the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with the garlic and onion, and cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
5. Add the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil. When it boils, reduce the heat and stir constantly for another 3 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken.
6. Return the chicken thighs to the pan and place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each thigh. Cover and cook until the cheese melts.
7. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Sprinkle each thigh with tomatoes and fresh chopped basil, and serve.

 

 

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are what many people think of as one of their favorite comfort foods. This healthy Mediterranean version will please even the toughest critics. The colors pop, and the taste sizzles, making a meal to please all the senses.

Serves 4–6 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• ½ pound ground beef (ground turkey also works well in this recipe)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (whole grain rice or wild rice would work as well)
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 6 bell peppers, cored with the tops cut off (different colors add to the visual effect of this dish, but feel free to use whatever color you like)
• ¾ cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook through.
3. Add the salt, pepper, allspice, and garlic powder to the meat and stir. Add the drained chickpeas. Cook for 3 minutes, and then add the cooked rice, paprika, cilantro, and tomato sauce. Stir in the chicken broth and let simmer until the liquid reduces.
4. Now you need to cook the peppers. You can either put them on a grill for 15 minutes (where they will get a nice smoky flavor), or you can put them in the oven at 400°F for about 10 minutes.
5. If you choose to cook the peppers in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F before stuffing them.
6. Stuff each pepper to the top with the ground beef mixture.
7. Put ½ cup of water in the bottom of a baking pan, then place each stuffed pepper into the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

 

 

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Avocados are full of healthy fat and mixed with cocoa powder. You don’t taste the avocado, only the rich chocolaty goodness of the final product. This pudding is great served cold, and if you have a bunch of ripe avocados, you can freeze it or even turn it into popsicles.

Serves 6 | Prep. time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Sea salt

Directions

1. Peel the avocados and dice them into small pieces.
2. Mix the cocoa powder, honey, yogurt, and vanilla with the avocado bits until well combined. Use a hand mixer or even a blender to achieve maximum creaminess.
3. Refrigerate for an hour and serve with a sprinkle of sea salt.

 

 

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Madison Miller’s Effortless Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: Easy Everyday Classic Mediterranean Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle. To get your copy, click on the cover or click here.

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.